Latching on is how your baby attaches to your breast to feed. Lots of people assume that this comes naturally, but in reality it's more of a skill that you and your baby need to learn together. Good attachment also helps you feel comfortable and means your baby gets the milk they need.
If you have pain or have any concerns speak to your midwife or health visitor, who can help you tweak the latch and signpost you to other breastfeeding support.
Breastfeeding takes practice. There aren’t any right or wrong positions. It's about what feels most comfortable for you, so try them out to see which feels best. Your baby needs to take a big mouthful of breast so that you feel comfortable and they get lots of milk. Sucking on your nipple the way they might suck on the teat of a bottle, will probably make you sore and mean your baby gets less milk.
Lactation Consultant Corrina demonstrates different breastfeeding positions, see which work works best for you
This video shows how you can get a deeper latch if this has been recommended for you.
You can also look find some more tips from LLL
This video shows why good attachment is so important to breastfeeding success and what a mother can do to get her baby to attach well.
Phil Parrett, IBCLC from East Kent Hospitals Maternity talks us through the first 48 hours with your baby.
The C.H.I.N.S acronym is a useful one to remember when latching your baby.
- Close – keep your baby nice and tucked in towards your body.
- Head free – your baby needs to be able to tilt their head back when attaching to your breast. This allows their chin to lead as they come on to the breast.
- In-line – Your baby’s head and body need to be in a straight line so that they don’t have to twist their neck. This makes swallowing easier.
- Nose to nipple – Your nipple should be just below your baby's nose. As they root and tilt their head backwards, the nipple will slip under their top lip, upwards and backwards, so it doesn’t rub on the inside of their mouth.
- Sustainable – The position should be comfortable for you and your baby for the whole feed.
NHS Start4Life have some great tips and diagrams on how to position and latch your baby.
Once your milk comes in it’s useful to listen to your baby’s sucks and swallows during feeding. It can help you to understand how effectively your baby is feeding. Your baby will usually have three sucking stages:
- Stimulating the let down: Babies start a feed with some quick strong sucks. These starts your ‘let-down reflex’, causing milk to flow. Your baby’s tongue cups your breast and you can see their lower jaw moving up and down as it opens and closes on the breast. This stimulates nerves close to the nipple, releasing hormones. Milk will begin to flow within a minute or two.
- Active feeding: Once the milk lets down, sucking will be combined with swallows of milk. This is when your baby is actively feeding. The lower jaw can be seen moving up and down rhythmically. Listen out for a pattern of one suck per swallow or a few sucks followed by a swallow of milk. Your baby may take a break and hold the breast in their mouth for a minute or two without moving their jaw before starting to suck and swallow again.
- Flutter sucking: Towards the end of the feed, sucking slows down and the jaw movements get less pronounced. There are fewer and fewer swallows and your baby may fall asleep or let go of your breast when they have had enough. These slower movements at the end of a feed can be called “flutter sucking”.
This video is a great demonstration of a baby attached and feeding well with commentary by Dr Jack Newman, a Canadian paediatrician.
If your baby falls asleep before taking a full feed, breast compressions and switching breasts can be useful. These will encourage another let down to get your baby back to actively sucking and swallowing again. This can be especially important if your baby isn’t gaining weight well or is spending a lot of time asleep.
Early days
- Feeding your baby responsively
- Breastfeeding after a c-section
- If your baby arrives early or unwell
- How do I get my baby attached and feeding effectively?
- How can I tell if it's going well
- Bottle feeding and other ways to feed your baby
- What can partners or others do to help (instead of giving a bottle)
- Why am I finding it painful?
Breastfeeding concerns
Breastfeeding help
Questions about breastfeeding
Mum Niki and baby Maren, from Canterbury
"Well to be honest, breastfeeding was a lot harder than I thought it would be. There were many times I could’ve easily given up but I decided to just take it one feed at a time. I told myself I could stop at any time - no pressure. Then one feed at a time became one day, then one week, then a month and I set myself a six month goal. We’ll carry on as long as it feels right. The best bits are the bond it creates (when you’ve got the technique down!) and the fact that you can just grab nappies and wipes and out you go!"